Vance Family Footnotes
I’ll be starting a regular posting of where we’ve been and what’s going on with us as we raise support to go to Colombia. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this type of update.
∙ We enjoyed being fairly close to our home this past week after being on the road for quite a while
∙ I attended a conference Tuesday and Wednesday in Atlanta in Spanish geared toward evangelism. It encouraged me to see hundreds of Hispanic pastors and their members excited about reaching others for God’s glory.
∙ Last Wednesday I presented our ministry at Good News Baptist Church in Candler, NC with Pastor Steve Smith. Great meeting and great church!
∙ Sunday Morning I got to preach twice while at Trinity Baptist Church in Atlanta, GA for their missions month. What a fun time we had with these dear people (and they gave us several pints of strawberries… Amira’s favorite!). The last time I was at this church was on my 11th birthday when my parents were part of their missions conference. My, how time flies.
∙ Sunday evening we had the rare privilege to be at our home Spanish church (where I had pastored) and to interpret for my Dad as he ministered there through an evangelistic Chalk art presentation.
∙ Anabel had a follow-up appointment with her eye specialist who was the one to recommend the treatment for her tumor. She was very impressed on how Anabel has improved! We won’t go back there for another 6 months. Next week we’ll see the Pediatric Dermatologist that oversaw her treatment at Egleston Children’s Hospital.
∙ My trusty Macbook computer has officially died after 6 years of hard use. I thought it was just the hard drive, but I took it to a repair place and they said it is the logic board/magsafe board. Anyways, repairs will cost hundreds more than it is worth. Time to save up for another. Pray God provides for this need.
∙ I was able to witness to two young Mormon missionaries yesterday after helping them jump off their car battery. Matthew 5:43-48 and Proverbs 25:21-22 come to mind. Pray that these men will trust Christ as their Savior.
∙ We’ve had 3 new financial partners just added to our team. Praise the Lord!!
Thank you for all for keeping up to date with our family. It means so much to us and we are very grateful.
How can we pray for you? Let us know in a message or comment.
August 2012 Prayer Letter
Dear Praying Friends,
Deputation & Family Update
It has been quite a busy couple months since our last paper prayer letter! God has blessed in incredible ways and we’ve seen our support climb to 43% as of the first of August. We praise the Lord and trust him for the rest to come in soon so we can get to Colombia. Thank you so much for your faithful prayers and financial gifts. We couldn’t serve the way we do without you holding the ropes for us.
Our newest daughter, Anabel, was diagnosed with a Strawberry Hemangioma (a type of infant tumor) on her hand and eye brow. The one above her eye was growing and forcing her eye to close, so at the end of August we spent a couple of nights in the children’s hospital in Atlanta to start treatment. It has improved and they are hoping for a full recovery after a year of medication! I have posted more details and pictures on our website: http://www.bemagnified.org.
From The Mouth Of Babes
Recently while at a church in Madison, GA, we met with the pastor before the service. Our 2 ½ year old Amira heard a crinkle sound when he put his hands in his pocket. Without missing a beat she asked him, “You have candy for meeee?” He then took her to a basket full of sweets and made a new friend. 🙂
Colombian Culture Corner
In Colombia, using your two fingers to indicate length of something is an obscene gesture. Instead, extend your right arm and use your left hand to mark off distance.
My wife is from northern Ohio and she experienced a bit of southern culture shock while in our Georgia home the other day… a live scorpion by the baby bed! Yikes! (We’re just getting prepped up for Colombia, of course.)
An Event To Consider
HELL’S GATES is an outdoor end-times drama put on by our home church during October. Last year was a huge success. Over 400 people made salvation decisions and many others were challenged. If you live anywhere near Georgia, bring your church group or lost friends! For more info, and group or individual tickets, visit http://www.hellsgates.com or call 1-888-295-0099.
Prayer Points
1. Travels while on deputation
2. Salvation of lost friends/family
3. Financial support (now over 43%)
4. 46 million Colombians still need the Gospel!
We have just printed new, updated prayer cards. Please let me know if you would like any of these sent to you.
Serving The King of Kings,
Aaron, Aubrie, Amira & Anabel Vance
Click to see or print the entire letter (with pictures).
Update On Anabel’s Tumor
First of all, let me thank you all for keeping up to date with us and the situation with little Anabel. We appreciate all the thoughtful notes, emails, calls, texts and visits.
For those that missed it, here’s the post I wrote about her Strawberry hemangioma. This is a type of benign infant tumor, and basically, hers was growing fast around her eye and was starting to threaten her vision. Doctors recommended we start treatment.
Now for the update…
Here are a few pictures from our stay at Egleston’s Children’s Hospital in Atlanta for Anabel’s hemangioma treatment.
Tuesday we went to see yet another specialist in Atlanta, this one a pediatric dermatologist. She recommended, as others had, that we begin treatment immediately with a medication called Propranolol. What’s crazy is that this type of treatment is so new for infantile tumors like Anabel’s, that if it had been our other daughter Amira just 2 years ago they would have gone a whole different route. Yet, nearly all studies and patients have shown amazing results.
We spent two nights at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta’s Egleston hospital in Atlanta as they began the medication. They performed an EKG to test Anabel’s heart before starting, then gave her 3 treatments a day. They monitored her blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen levels, and pulse as well as pricked her finger to check blood sugar after each treatment. The whole reason being in the hospital was to make sure none of these levels were to go down (since Propranolol is actually a heart medication, after all).
Anabel responded fantastically.
We were told that if it were to make a difference in her tumor, we’d be likely to see a change before leaving the hospital. And sure enough, a change can be seen!
We’ll be on this treatment for about a year, at which time the doctors hope for a full recovery.
Thank you for your prayers. I know we serve a great God. He takes care of us, and does all things for our good and His glory.
I have to be honest, we really enjoyed sleeping in our own bed again last night. But alas, we can’t stay put long… We’re about to leave in a few hours to drive all night to Ohio where we have a few meetings there & in Alabama before coming home. Pray that God continues to protect and provide as we serve Him and head toward Colombia as missionaries.
Get A Glimpse Of Colombia (VIDEO)
Check out the following time-lapse video made in Colombia.
It is a beautiful country, no doubt. But it is a country filled with people who still need to hear the true Gospel message!
I am more convinced than ever that God wants to do a great work for His name.
The door is open.
The time is now.
We’ve got to take action.
What part will you have?
An Experience That Will Change Your Life
Last Fall, after thousands of man-hours of planning, preparation & training, our home church hosted an event entitled “Hell’s Gates.”
Over the course of 7 sell-out evenings, more than 3,500 people walked through this outdoor reality drama depicting the end times. Many of these people left eternally changed. All of these people left challenged.
This October, you will have a chance to experience that same heart-pounding, thrilling journey of Biblical proportions. If you live anywhere near Atlanta or North Georgia, you MUST plan to be there. Bring a friend. Bring your family. Bring your church. You don’t want to miss it.
In anticipation of larger crowds, this event has been expanded to 11 nights. For detailed information and to buy individual or group tickets, visit: http://www.hellsgates.com/
If you are not able to attend, please pray that God does a magnificent work for his eternal glory.
The Vance Family 